South Bend Clay - Match Report

First of all, this was a beautiful fall night. Tuesday, we had traveled to Prairie Heights and started the match, only to get a downpour one game into the match. Tonight, the temperature was great, the shadows began to stretch across the court, the sunlight gleamed through the pines. These are nights that I love our courts, with their tree-lined fences and even their cracks.  Of course, it was also my birthday, number 4-0, so that made it extra special as well :-)

Varsity Recap

This match went relatively quickly, I was really impressed with our simplicity and focus coming out of the gates. But one match went really quickly. Josh kept his energy high all through his match, keeping himself moving and playing his signature style. But his opponent was having trouble finding the court. Because of this, Josh's match ended in only 19 minutes. It was also remarkable, because Josh only lost 3 points throughout the course of the match!

The other matches were much more closely contested, but it is not necessarily reflected in the scoreline. Braden's opponent had very smooth strokes and they had great long rallies. But after losing the first game, Braden settled into hitting his shots rather than just trying to match his opponent. From their on out, Braden seemed to win the bigger share of the points. He forced more errors and was able to come up with the points to end games. 

Theo also had a great match and a quick win. He was able to control most of the points with his forehand placement, and bring his opponent to the net some. In the end, it was consistency that won the day for him. At #1D, it was the aggressiveness and the simple doubles strategy that won the match. They also breezed through both sets with few threats. They served well throughout most of the match, something they've continued to work on.

And finally, there was no #2D match because the Colonials only had 5 players. But our #2D played against our sophomores, Cameron and Breece. It was a really fun match. Cameron doesn't play doubles much, but his consistency combined with Breece's power made for formidable combination. They had some beautiful games and points, and that was fun to watch.

In all, we played with simplicity, confidence and fun. This is the same attitude that we need to bring to every match!

JV Recap

There was no JV contest.

Moments of Joy

1. Joseph's Serves

On a night where our groundstrokes weren't tested as much in long rallies, it gave us a chance to work on good serving. Joseph hit a number of solid first serves. As a team, we need to see our first serve percentage his higher. They can be a weapon but only if we get them in. Really, a first serve percentage should be somewhere around 60%. So, we've got a goal to aim for in each match!

2. Braden's Groundstrokes

Early in his match, Braden was moving slowly and slicing a lot of dinky balls. In the first game, that allowed his opponent to control the point. I told Braden to take the next game and hit normal shots to the middle of the court, to grow in confidence. Soon, Braden was swinging in forehands and flattening out backhands. His backhand looked especially solid in this match. I loved to see us playing to our strengths!

Moments Together

I really appreciated all the happy birthdays. My wife was nice enough to buy me a sash for my big day, and so you guys all saw it - and the big, bright, primary colors proclaiming "Happy Birthday!" And it is a weird year to have your 40th birthday, because no big party was in the cards. So, it was really appreciated that you all took such joy in mentioning my birthday every chance you got. I appreciate the ways you are there for me as well!

A Prayer

Lord, I love this team. I love the energy that they have for each other. I even love the uncertainties and the efforts that they make to overcome them. Lord, so many things change and so many decisions are hard. Give us the faith to be certain of some things. To be certain of our worth. To be certain of Your love. To be certain that we are accepted by one another. Thank You for these things. In Jesus name.

Scores

Varsity: 5-0

#1S - Braden Bohn - 6-1, 6-0 - Maxx Szucs (12)

#2S - Theo Siemens-Rhodes - 6-0, 6-0 - Addison Nally (10)

#3S - Josh Cartwright - 6-0, 6-0 - Noah Stone (10)

#1D - Joseph Mounsithiraj/Tyson Miller - 6-0, 6-0 - Nathan Duszysla (11)/Jeremiah Annis (12)

#2D - Aaron Shenk/Austin Shenk - win by forfeit